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Scott Langley reacts after missing his par putt on the 17th hole at the Monterey Peninsula Country Club Shore Course during the first round of the annual Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament in Pebble Beach Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013. (Patrick Tehan/Staff)

He's won here before, even, a distinction few (if any) Tour rookies might ever have the chance to say. It's part of the reason why the 23-year-old Langley, who doesn't look a day over 22, is near the top of the leaderboard following the first round at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

The Illinois graduate was busy winning at Pebble Beach when he was still in high school, before he was ever a 2010 NCAA champion.

"I've had good results here, so maybe that helps my confidence a little bit," said Langley, moments after he recorded a 5-under 65 Thursday on the Shore Course at Monterey Peninsula Country Club.

He sits just a stroke back of leaders Russell Knox and Hunter Mahan, while he and his amateur partner, Doug Mackenzie, sit atop the standings in the Pro-Am at 11 under.

And all of it took place on the Shore Course -- not even on his old stomping grounds at Pebble (that won't come until Saturday).

Six years ago, when he was just 17, Langley teamed up with Dana Quigley to win the pro-junior division of The First Tee Open at Pebble Beach. He is the first former active participant of The First Tee program to earn a PGA Tour card, having accomplished the latter in December through Q-School.

He tied for third last month in his Tour debut at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

"I don't know if I'm more prepared than other rookies," Langley added, "but it's nice being here before today and before this tournament to kind of get more rounds under my belt and have a familiarity with the area and learn how the golf course works."

Langley played at Pebble in 2010 during the U.S. Open, finishing as the low amateur with an 8-over 292 for 16th place. Last year, he narrowly missed the Pro-Am cut by a single stroke and a bit of bad luck; he hit a deer at Spyglass Hill and rimmed out a putt on the second-to-last hole of the third round prior to the cut.

Langley seemed to pick up the Shore Course rather quickly Thursday, though. He had better luck, too. Despite bogeying the second hole, the Barrington, Ill., native birdied Nos. 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 13 and 15 before narrowly missing a putt for par on 17.

Afterward, Langley said he made two mistakes all day -- an average anyone would take. He hit the wrong club off the 17th tee and landed in the left-side rough, forced to punch out toward the middle of the fairway, and he hit his tee shot on 2 into the bunker, forced to stand with one foot in the sand.

Otherwise, Langley looked right at home. The 12-person contingent of mostly family and friends that walked the course alongside him -- an entourage that is expected to grow Friday as his fiancé arrives -- helped in that respect.

"He really loves coming up here. He was excited to get back up here and get going," said Steve Lohmeyer, Langley's caddy who previously played at Kent State. "The courses suit him well and he rolled the ball really well today, which was good to see and he's starting to hit it great. I'm looking forward to the rest of the week with him."

Not a morning sprinkle nor playing directly behind Bill Murray and his antics could keep Langley from finding comfort and momentum in his game. The comedic genius drew attention when he decided to, inexplicably, punt a football on No. 9. On No. 15, he veered off the path toward the gallery, accepting a Bloody Mary from an adoring fan.

But on that same hole, Langley, unaffected, left his 130-yard approach shot, through a significant left-to-right wind off the Pacific Ocean, within three feet of the pin.

Maybe closer.

"That's a putt even I might make," said Langley's father, watching from the gallery.

"He said, 'might,'" added Langley's grandfather, who flew in from Indiana to watch.

One hole later, on 16, Langley's tee shot sailed left toward a fairway bunker. It bounced seemingly within inches of traversing down a steep, sandy slope, but instead teetered along the edge of the trap for roughly 20 feet without ever falling into the hazard.

For Langley, a lefty, he looked at ease with the ensuing approach shot to the green -- a shot that would likely lead to a bogey for many righties.

"... I love this place," he said earlier this week. "There is something about it, I don't know. Maybe I read the greens well. Maybe it just suits my game. I don't know. Just when I come here I'm very much at peace and I love it."

Rain and the distracting views Pebble offers could be an issue on Friday, when Langley will tee off at 8:44 a.m. from Spyglass Hill. So, too, could the growing gallery if he continues to scale the leaderboard.

Because on Thursday, he played as if he's been here before.

Don't let that rookie title fool you.

"I came here when I was younger and I was so amazed at how beautiful this place is. You get distracted a little bit by the views," Langley said.

"I feel differently now," he later added. "I'm more comfortable here, I'm more at ease."

Andrew Matheson is a sportswriter for the Santa Cruz Sentinel. He can be reached at: amatheson@santacruzsentinel.com